Quiet Musings of a Mad Man
by PlathRamsey
Summary: Now that Jafar is trapped inside the magic lamp... he has a lot of time to think... about his relationship with Jasmine. Jafar/Jasmine. Rated M for tension
1. Musings

To be supreme in power was paramount. Unbeknowst to me, I'd slipped right into Aladdin's puppet strings. Street-urchin-diamond-boy bested _me_?! My pride wounded! My vainglory exploited... how I _wish_ I'd seen through the manipulation. I _wish _to finally kill Aladdin. I **wish** my newly decided fate wasn't granting wishes...

Most of all, I _wish_ I hadn't attempted to waste my third, most priceless wish on a woman so worthless.

_"I wish for Princess Jasmine to fall desperately in love with me."_

She'd accomplished fooling me with a kiss, that in retrospect was quite smug. It is absolutely offensive that she believed she could have had a hold on me. I'd known Jasmine since she was a pig-tailed, snot-nosed little brat. She should have known I'm unable to love. In fact... my heartlessness is what sets me apart from the aforementioned opponent. I'll admit, he had some savvy sleight of hand tricks. With proper honing, his hocus-pocus could potentially develop into something to rival mine. The pursuit of love would always make Aladdin a vulnerable slave to those passions. Hell, our paths only ever crossed because he sought the riches to impress said Princess.

The Princess. Her street rat fiance.  
Her susceptible father; joke of a ruler  
_Oh, what an enchanting fairytale!_

It seems my place in her life was always to dual with her men. I became second to her father's throne... and resented every second of number two. I'd spent years living under his palace roof. If he weren't such a weak-willed royal, I'd never been able to over-power him easily with elementary sorcery. I'd bide my time until I was able to usurp his greatly desired title.

Jasmine was his obnoxious distraction. Even as a child, she was a defiant Princess. I pondered about sending her off to boarding school once I took Monarch. She became much more interesting to me as she went through the physical transformation of puberty.

The gist of arranged marriage was explained to Jasmine on her 13th birthday. The Sultan gently suggested following the abstinence traditions of their faith. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised when the gullible Sultan took Jasmine's agreement at face value.

I'd tried unsuccessfully to drum up fear surrounding Jasmine's chasteness. I'd made quite the compelling case for slapping a chastity belt onto Jasmine, and entrusting me with the key. This very topic made The Sultan uncomfortable to consider. Even more so reluctant to discuss this with me. . .when he shouldn't have been. I'd been planning to break the family dynasty of Agrabah and emerge as it's newest leader. After years of torture I'd endured under this buffoons authority, I was more than entitled to his virgin daughter!

There was a burning, vindictive part of me that wanted Jasmine as my bride to spite the Sultan. There was _another_ part of me, that too, was _burning_.

As she matured into a young woman, I couldn't help but take notice of Jasmine's exotic eyes. Her warm golden tan, the color of cinnamon. Her hair smelled of spiced amber. She was blessed with an ample bosom, child-bearing hips, and a slim hourglass waist. Her beguiling figure made me _desperate_ at times. You would think that all beautiful women found a man of my power_ irresistible._ I was self-aware to notice the unfortunate and poor effect I've had on women. They often were creeped out by my intensity.

An old Arabic proverb says _'one who cooks poison, tastes it.'_ I felt it related to my relationship with The Princess. Sultan saw his daughter as a sinless angel. Unaware of how she gloated in having him wrapped around her finger. Many of our tension surrounded which one of us truly had the Sultan in our back pocket. It could get competitive. The spell she had over dear dad almost rivaled my hypnotic Staff.

I didn't see the halo and wings. Instead I saw a manipulative side to Jasmine. I saw the way she treated her adoring Suitors like dirt. Siccing her pet Tiger onto the men whose only desire was her hand. She could be quite the cruel little vixen. Maybe I saw some of myself in the cruel, vindictive aspects of her personality. With Aladdin she'd have to live the straight and narrow path. A righteous life. It was pointless to think about what could have been between Jasmine and myself, had we been left to develop organically. Express the darkest aspects of our personality together. Though now it would seem all I am left to is my musings.


	2. Iago

I'd been successful at escaping the lamp before Jafar. I could stretch my bright red feathers in freedom. My boss however was still confined to the magical oil lamp. Tethered a prisoner until we could enact a deceitful scheme. I was to sell a greedy, gullible fool the lamp. There was just _one_ scheme that took priority. Get a confession from Jasmine.

I flew into an open bedroom window at the palace. Jasmine was lying atop her expensive silk bedsheet. The brass lamp tight in my talons. I tried to be quiet as I set the magic lamp on her gold nightstand. I took a breath as I worked up the nerve to fly behind her mirror. _Would this really work? Could I fool Jasmine by mimicking Jafar's voice? Convincing Jasmine that his voice beckoned her from inside the lamp?_ I practice a few strong echos, making sure I am rehearsed enough.

"Princess Jasmine." Immediately she's alert. In silence I chastise myself for calling her Princess. Jafar would _never_ address her with such respect. _Curses! She will see right through this ruse._

"Who goes there? Is that you, Aladdin?"

_Success!_

I deepen my boom. Determined to sound as maniacal as Jafar. "Guess again?"

"JAFAR! JAFAR? But how is this possible?!" She blinks a few times, still barely awake.

"You and the Street Urchin thought you'd seen the last of me? Oh, isn't that amusing."

Jasmine crossed her arms over her chest. She was definitely NOT amused. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't burn this lamp and send you straight to Hell!"

"Hell is the lifetime you've lived without me, my dear."

I didn't think that line would go over well. Jafar reprimanded me when I told him to rethink the script. As true as my prediction, it only angered the Princess. In a swift and tempered motion she grabbed the lamp and was ready to chuck it.

"Jasmine, your father see's you as naive. We both know you are no fool. Why, if you wanted me to burn... I'd be **burning.** This is no different than your... transparent passion you claim was for the sake of distraction."

Jasmine rested with the lamp for a second. Unsure if she should banish him... or listen to his ludicrous statements. "What on EARTH are you talking about, you MAD MAN?"

"I knew that the Genie couldn't make you fall in love with me. But YOU didn't _know_ that I knew that! I wished for it to. . . _challenge_ you."

Jasmine smiled decadently, all too pleased with herself. "Well if THAT was all just a challenge, _as you say_... All it proves is that I went to desperate lengths to distract you. Aladdin was the rightful owner of the lamp, Jafar! Are you saying I fell right into your trap?" She laughed mockingly, high with the feeling of holding the upper hand. "Your trap makes no sense. It proves **nothing!**"

"Nothing? It proves that you had always been curious. Forever wondering what a mere second on my lips would taste like."

I'm glad I am a red bird. It was hiding the blush. The seductive tone Jafar wanted me to use when conversing. The topic we were discussing. It felt all too intimate and private for me to be privy to. Jafar was sick. Setting me up to play a twisted Cyrano.

"Don't deny it, woman. You see... you know I _never_ had any use for you. You know in my blackheart I cannot love nor do I seek love. I was bluffing to test the limits. You knew this... and we both know that NOBODY else in the room did. Certainly not your idiot father who doesn't know the first thing about being a Sultan. Not your impostor Prince. Not even the wise all knowing Genie knew that I was in the middle of a power play. Only you and I knew... So tell me why a clever girl such as yourself would fall into such a thinly veiled trap? Hmmm?"

Jasmine looked nervous. Immediately she stormed toward the hallway. She checked both ways to make sure no one was in earshot before slamming the door. She was huffing and puffing, clearly overwhelmed. The Princess mustered all the intimidation she could to confront the oil lamp. "Aladdin can NEVER find out about this, Jafar. What do you want from me? What must I give you, to keep you quiet?!" She fumed, her dark eyes burning.

"For you to humor me is all I require. Admit to me what we both already know to be true."

Jasmine sighed. There was heavy frustration. "Jafar... I didn't know about the _no love rule._ I was... admittedly intrigued you used a wish on me. It was... _flattering_ even. I waited with anticipation to be spellbound, but no such luck. So, I ran with it. You had presented a situation where I could finally give into my curiosities... It was a perfectly convenient excuse for me."

Jasmine lowered her head in defeat. Cheeks hot with embarrassment. She felt icky inside. She felt a deep sense of shame. That she was somehow betraying Aladdin to own up to this. She wanted to tell Jafar off! To ask him if he was **finally** satisfied. His request granted, now could he just buzz off for the rest of their lives!? She was engaged to wed Aladdin. She didn't need this getting to him and messing up everything they'd overcome and built as a couple.

The frantic flapping of bird wings pierced the silence. Jasmine looked around- startled, confused. Iago ascended into the air, swooping up the lamp and making a dash out the window. In a reflex, Jasmine chased after him. Her hands reaching out trying to grab the devious macaw. It started to become clearer and clearer what had just happened. Iago had used his mimicry skills to dupe her.

Jasmine screamed his name... but he was already flying into the dark, dead of night.

The Princess fell to her knees. Her hands cradling her head. "What have I done? What have I done?" She tried to use logic to drive out the panic. After all, Jafar was still trapped inside the lamp. Only Iago had heard her drop the shocking bombshell. Who could Iago really tell? He wasn't welcome at the palace. He'd lost all credibility by pledging loyalty to Jafar. He'd made enemies with The Sultan and also Aladdin. Worst case scenario... the parrot would squawk. So? Not like Jasmine would ever admit to this. Iago had been right about one aspect of Jasmine's personality. She could be manipulative. If she had to use manipulation to convince Aladdin that Iago was making up a story to split them apart, then that's what she'd have to do.

Jasmine sighed in relief. Thankfully Iago had destroyed his believability.


End file.
